Among the many systems at AXPONA 2025, Magico’s claimed the triple crown: most expensive, most imposing, and most sonically impressive. Entering the hushed, curtained-off, two-story Club Room felt like crossing into sacred space.
Magico didn’t provide prices for most products, but the company’s Peter Mackay (pictured) estimated the system's cost at over $2 million. Center stage stood the 1000lb Magico M9s ($750,000/pair), powered by D’Agostino Relentless 800 monoblocks ($195,000/pair) for the woofers and Relentless Epic 1600 monoblocks ($349,500/pair) for the mids and highs. The scale of the presentation nearly distracted me from the Vyda Laboratories cables (around $10,000 for an 8’ pair).
The racks also held a D’Agostino Relentless preamplifier ($151,000 with the new remote), an Antipodes Oladra music server ($29,000), Wadax’s full Atlantis Reference stack—server, transport, and DAC, $350,000 total—plus Telos Audio Design’s Earth Grounding Monster and Power Station ($48,500 and $108,000 respectively).
I’ve played Boris Blank and Malia’s “Celestial Echo” (from their Convergence album) countless times, but the size and scale here—especially the deep, articulate bass—was staggering.Those seismic low notes felt in perfect proportion to the frequencies above, enhancing rather than overpowering the rest.
“Dindirindin,” a pristinely recorded a cappella track by Calmus Ensemble Leipzig, stopped me cold. The voices felt vivid, suspended in black. Every detail was revealed, but nothing sounded analytical. This was one of the most organic-sounding systems I’ve encountered.
Ben Webster’s “How Long Has This Been Going On?” reminded me that it was time to move on. I would’ve loved to linger, but duty called.
The racks also held a D’Agostino Relentless preamplifier ($151,000 with the new remote), an Antipodes Oladra music server ($29,000), Wadax’s full Atlantis Reference stack—server, transport, and DAC, $350,000 total—plus Telos Audio Design’s Earth Grounding Monster and Power Station ($48,500 and $108,000 respectively).
“Dindirindin,” a pristinely recorded a cappella track by Calmus Ensemble Leipzig, stopped me cold. The voices felt vivid, suspended in black. Every detail was revealed, but nothing sounded analytical. This was one of the most organic-sounding systems I’ve encountered.
Ben Webster’s “How Long Has This Been Going On?” reminded me that it was time to move on. I would’ve loved to linger, but duty called.
